Our Imperfections
by Temari08
Summary: Three hours by train. Another hour by walking. That was how I always measured the distance I had put between myself and Konoha. SasuSaku
1. Hidden Anger

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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_Uchiha Sasuke._ I wrote the name down on the paper one more time, just to make sure there was still such a name. The characters flowed from my pen with relative ease; even though it had been nearly three years since I'd had to actually write them down in the first place.

I was the sole occupant of the otherwise empty railroad car: I had requested it to myself and paid the extra money without a second thought. I glanced up from the paper and out the window to the verdant blur of trees passing me by, but I was never really looking at scenery.

I only saw Sasuke.

The Sasuke who had ignored my pleas that summer evening as he walked out of my life and Konoha. The very same Sasuke who refused to return to home three years later, after our briefly reunited Team Seven had made a consensus to work as the team it had once been to bring down Orochimaru and disband Akatsuki.

Itachi had escaped into the blanket of night, and Sasuke wasted no time in following. It didn't matter that we brought promises of amnesty from Tsunade if he returned, because Itachi wasn't dead yet.

Even after we traveled all that way and fought side by side, Sasuke had never planned on returning to Konoha with us. Just like the little boy who abandoned Konoha that night so many years ago, the grown man didn't want to be saved. It didn't matter what I had to say or what I tried to do; Sasuke had his revenge. It was as simple as that.

I gave up trying after that day. We returned home to the village minus the one ninja we were expected to return with. Tsunade spoke to each of us privately in her office, wanting to know the why's and how's of the situation.

I told her everything, not just because she was the Hokage, but because she was my medic teacher, my mentor, and I owed her the best explanation of how I could possibly fail her. It only made me feel worse when she said that she didn't blame me.

I came back to the very same office a week later with a request form in hand. She read the document carefully, her eyes growing wide as she looked back up at me and down at the paper once more. Finally her shaking hand scribbled the official Hokage signature before handing the paper back to me without a word.

As I closed the door behind me, I heard the distinct impact of her fist on the desk and the splintering crack of the wood. Everyone else reacted the same, but in their own ways, when I told them I was resigning from my ninja status.

Kakashi reread the whole set of his very first Icha Icha Paradise collection, but never once glanced at a page. Naruto took his anger out on the training grounds and was solely responsible for the annihilation of an entire forest.

It didn't help that I also planned to leave Konoha to attend school. Then again, it couldn't be helped. It was something I _had_ to do. I _had_ to get away from everything and everyone that reminded me of Sasuke, if only because it was in this way that I could attempt to move on.

I promised to visit at least once every few months, but somewhere in all the time, my visiting became second priority, until nearly a year had elapsed since I'd been home. Three hours by train. Another hour by walking. That was how I always measured the distance I had put between myself and Konoha.

But this time it was different. Instead of counting the minutes and tallying the miles, I measured the leagues of thoughts and memories that I had tried to keep stowed away.

Naruto's phone call had changed everything; it was the real reason I was returning home to the village. A man had shown up on the doorstep of Konoha two days prior, his body dragging itself up to the gates before collapsing, his gray robe bathed in the sickening sight of blood. The familiar black cloak of the Akatsuki was clenched in the death grip of his unconscious hands. Two scratched Konoha forehead protectors were wrapped tightly within it.

It didn't take long for the rumors to spread that there was now only one true heir to the Uchiha clan, and that he had returned to the village. He was the sole survivor, the last of one of Konoha's greatest families: Uchiha Sasuke.

It was just a lucky coincidence that my final school year had ended, and I had no incentive for staying in the city. There was no use in lying to myself, in saying that I had indeed moved on. I would have left in an instant anyway, if it meant seeing Sasuke again.

* * *

A lone figure was waiting for me on the packed wooden platform outside the train station, leaning against a chipping column. His silver hair protruded from the top of his bright orange book, immediately recognizable in the crowd. I smiled into my hand, surprised that they would send Kakashi as my welcoming party. I was even more astonished that he was here on time. 

I sat still for a while, listening to the other passengers as they scrambled to be the first to get off the train. Excited voices, disgruntled growls, and happy shouts from the small children who were tired of being cooped up in the cramped compartments. When the ruckus outside my door had subsided and footsteps no longer echoed in the corridors, I slung my luggage over my shoulder and made my way off the train.

As I stepped down onto the platform, Kakashi tucked his book away and walked over to me, taking one of the bags from me and settling it into his grip. He rested his other hand on my shoulder and squeezed it lightly before drawing back. He looked down at me and tousled my hair in an attempt to lighten the mood.

He cleared his throat and smiled beneath his black mask. "Yo."

That simple greeting was enough. Tears blossomed into the confines of my vision. Heat flourished from my burning cheeks as I tried to suppress the wave of nostalgia that had washed over me. I dropped my bag and rubbed wearily at my eyes, trying to figure out why I was crying.

It just felt so good to see him and hear his voice, because if I could see and hear Kakashi, then somewhere in my head I had the reaffirmation that what Naruto had said was true. In some weird sense Kakashi justified everything I could have possibly doubted. Sasuke was alive.

Kakashi could only stand there as I clung to his vest and soaked his shirt with my tears. Even though we had known each other for nearly six years, he had never quite gotten used to consoling his only female student. He breathed a heavy sigh and looked up at the cloudless sky, shaking his head. "Ah, Sakura," he murmured, "You shouldn't have come home."

* * *

His room was on the fourth floor of the hospital. The halls were strangely quiet as Kakashi led the way to a door halfway down one particular corridor. Three ANBU were stationed were stationed outside of it, white masked guards standing still and firm. Kakashi spoke in hushed tones to one of the guards, who promptly stepped aside, allowing me entrance into the room. 

The only obvious sound in the immediate area was the angry voice that escaped from the open door. Naruto was yelling.

A pale curtain hung from the ceiling, giving the two distinct silhouettes cast along it what little privacy they had. One of the figures stood, gesturing furiously with his hands, while the other sat, blatantly motionless and silent.

"Do you know what Sakura-chan went through, after you left again? What we all went through?" Silence responded to the questions. Naruto growled impatiently. "You can't just come back and expect everything to go back to normal," he shouted.

His shadow drifted back and forth along the curtain as he paced in his anger. Finally Naruto stopped in mid-step and let his head hang, his voice weak and bitter. "She's coming back to see you. She hasn't been back in over a year, but she's coming to see _you_."

I remained still, processing the words and tones, feeling ashamed of myself for even getting on the train. I stared at the off-white paint of the wall and bit into my lip. It was all I could do to keep myself from breaking into tears again. My chest grew tight as I held my breath and fought the swelling of emotions inside me. My throat began to burn with the pain until I could no longer keep silent, a small cry ushering itself from me in the strangely familiar echo of my voice.

The curtain was ripped away almost instantaneously, leaving me startled and shaken where I stood. Naruto gaped at me in disbelief, his eyes surveying my reddening face as I avoided his gaze. His mouth trembled as he tried to find words to say, and finding none, he stormed from the room.

A young man sat casually within the monotonous surroundings, leaning calmly against the wall. His bed sheets spilled over into his lap, his upturned palms resting there. His was thinner than I remembered; his skin marred with a few nicks and bruises but was otherwise flawlessly pale. His black hair still stuck out in cocky angles like ruffled feathers. His eyes stared at me from beneath the curtain of overgrown bangs, cold and unfeeling. The shell of a human being.

I stumbled toward the bed. My movements were shaky; my body was weak and limp. He just watched me indifferently as I came closer. I felt angry at how he could just sit there and stare, so calm and collected. I reached out to feel his face, the skin cool as a cucumber against the heated palm of my hand.

Without knowing why, that same hand that had cupped his cheek flung back away from the face, only to fly forward once more. I slapped him. The stinging sound of my hand's collision with his beautiful face rang out through the tiny room. No one moved to stop me. Once, then twice, a third time for good measure.

It was finally on the fourth swing that Sasuke's own hand rose to catch my wrist before I could hit him again. I froze at his touch my eyes transfixed on his hand. His grip was strong but careful; I knew he could have snapped me in two if he wanted to.

"Sakura."

My gaze returned to his face, hardly believing it could have spoken my name in that same voice. I tried to pull out of his grasp. His hold on me remained firm.

"Sasuke-kun," I whispered, my voice pleading at first. "Let go." Somewhere between my trek to the bed and my assault on Sasuke, I had started crying. The tears dripped down my face, into the crevices of my lips, congregating at the curve of my chin, staining the light blue sheets below me. I repeated my plea. "Let go, please."

When he still refused to relinquish his hold, I raised my voice. "I said let go." I clawed at his hand. "Let go." My breathing was becoming shallow, my thoughts desperate. I started to scream. "Let go of me! Let go of me!"

Suddenly the grip loosened and I broke away. It was only because Kakashi and a dozen ANBU had appeared out of nowhere on every side of the bed. I staggered back into the wall, sinking into it for support. Kakashi rushed to my side, but I pushed away from him and stumbled out the room.

I ran blindly through the back streets of Konoha, my feet leading me down the once familiar trails. I slipped in through the back door of our family's sweet shop. I climbed the steps to the second floor and locked myself in my old room, the chattering gossip of the customers and my mother muffling my careless footsteps and clamoring. My parents had no idea that I had even come home from school yet, and I wanted it to stay that way, if only for a few hours.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. All reviews are welcomed. 


	2. Possible Weakness

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! One thing many people fretted about was that this story was only a one-shot. In my haste to release the first chapter, I forgot to mention that this will be a chaptered story. Many apologies to you all!

If you haven't added this story to your alert list, then you can find my updates at the SasuSaku LJ community, or on my profile page. Anyway, here is chapter 2. Unfortunately, there is no SasuSaku interaction, but that's what the third chapter is for : )

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I woke up to the sickly sweet scent of the sugary vapors which always permeated the house in the early morning hours. For a moment I lost myself and groaned into my pillow, thinking it was another day of team training. I covered my eyes with my hand to block out the blaring rays peaking in through the window panes. 

And then reality hit me like a swift and unexpected kick to the stomach during a practice session. I was reminded relatively fast that I had just returned home the day prior, I wasn't twelve years old anymore, and Sasuke was back.

It was enough to cry, which I considered for a moment; yet I found myself laughing. It wasn't happy laughter, but it was laughter all the same. I curled into a ball as I tried to stifle the fit of giggles that had assaulted me. I pinched at the skin on my arm and hoped it would pacify the sheer amusement I was feeling. No such luck.

After a time the laughter subsided. I was left breathless and gasping for air, accompanied by this strange feeling of emptiness and exhaustion. I closed my eyes and listened to my heart beat pounding in my ears as my breathing gradually returned to normal.

A shadow towered over me.

"Don't tell me you're losing it." The voice sounded anxious as a hand shook lightly at my shoulder.

I blinked and stared up. A pair of bright blue eyes loomed dangerously close above me, reciprocating my gaze almost eagerly. I sank back farther into my pillow and smiled before responding, "And what if I am?"

The eyes pulled back until Naruto's face came into focus, a wide grin settled onto his lips. "I'd be very sad; but I wouldn't blame you." He lifted two familiar-looking bags from his shoulder; it was my luggage. I had dropped it down at the hospital when I went to visit Sasuke. As if sensing my thoughts, the grin quickly disappeared from his face. He shuffled his feet and glanced around. "Where do you want it?"

I pointed to an unoccupied space by my desk. The room was spotless, just as I had left it. Naruto carefully set the bags on the floor, then pulled the desk chair out and sat down facing me.

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. His gaze was steadily occupied by his entwined hands as he cleared his throat. "How're ya feeling, Sakura-chan?"

I turned onto my side beneath the covers so that I could watch him. My heart felt like breaking into two. He looked so nervous and concerned, as only Naruto could. I had planned to lie to him and say I was perfectly fine, but we both would have known that was far from the truth. He didn't deserve that.

"Angry, upset, dejected, miserable; any of those words will do," I said calmly, tugging the blankets tighter around me.

"Oh," he replied, taken aback by such a candid response. We sat in silence for a while, the hustle and bustle sounds of someone rummaging through the kitchen below slipping through the floorboards.

"You were right," I whispered. Naruto looked up from his hands, justifiably confused. I shook my head as he tried to speak. "I heard what you said yesterday, and you were right. I did come back, because of Sasuke. And I know—"

Naruto stuck a hand out to stop me from continuing, a pained smile on his face. "Hey, hey; you weren't supposed to hear any of that, eheh…"

I stared at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Naruto." I sighed into my hand. "I feel so stupid."

He sat straight up in the chair. "Don't apologize, Sakura-chan. I—I shouldn't have said any of that. I guess I was jealous since… and I was just so mad at that bastard, and he wouldn't answer me. He wouldn't say a word."

I sat up in the bed. "Are you still angry at him?"

Naruto ran his fingers through his blonde hair and frowned. "I was, especially when I heard what happened after I left the hospital. Not anymore, though; even though I want to be." He looked at me. "You know things can't go back to the way they were, don't you, Sakura?"

I wiped at a tear that had escaped from my eye and nodded. "I know."

Naruto's hand reached out, and then quickly drew back. I met his gaze, so sincere and troubled with his problems _and_ mine. It was so like him to try and carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He reached into his pocket and produced a beige scroll. "Tsunade asked me to give you this," he said, resting it carefully on the pink sheets. "She said that she wants to see you."

I left the scroll untouched and simply nodded. Naruto stood up and pushed the chair back in beneath the desk. "I gotta get going. I have a mission to get ready for and I still have to say goodbye to Hinata…"

"It's alright," I said, attempting a pathetic smile, "I have some stuff to take care of." A thought crossed my mind. "Hey, um… H-how is she? Hinata?"

Naruto froze, a genuine and sheepish grin suddenly returning to his face. "Hinata? Well, she's great. I finally got her dad to let her go on a date with me; except now every time we do go anywhere, he sends what he calls "a bodyguard" along. I think he's worried about us being alone, or something." He shrugged.

"I'm happy for you, Naruto," I said. He nodded at me appreciatively and started for the door.

"I'll be out of town for a few days," he said as he placed his hand on the door and stopped. He seemed hesitant to leave. "Take care of yourself, Sakura-chan."

"Make sure you follow your own advice," I replied. He gave me one last look before closing the door behind him.

I had thought about pointing something out to Naruto before he left, a simple trait he and the Hyuuga leader shared. He probably would have denied it, anyway. They were simply trying to protect the ones they loved from something they couldn't stop.

I picked up the scroll.

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I walked slowly, setting distance between me and my mother as we ventured down the street leading to the Ninja Headquarters. The fire symbol emblazoned upon it easily stood out, evening as the building loomed beneath the Hokage stone monument. 

I return my gaze to the street, preferring to study the surroundings which were currently closer to me. Shops and small restaurants were already open, a steady flow of customers and neighbors coming and going. I paused briefly outside the Ichiraku Ramen stand. The warm aroma of spices drifted pleasantly across the way, and I considered coming back later for a bowl. I had important matters to attend to first, though. Tsunade was waiting.

My mother glanced back over her shoulder, hazel eyes searching for her long-lost daughter. She spotted me and frowned. "Sakura, you can daydream later. I have to get back to the shop, and we still haven't seen the Hokage."

She stood five feet tall, pink hair dangling in the cool morning breeze. She was my mirror image, save the two inches of difference in height that allowed me to peer just over her head; and ours eyes, of course, as mine were bright and green like my father's. She looked impatient and slightly annoyed at my lack of enthusiasm in getting to the meeting with the Godaime, which, she had informed me earlier, was a great honor. I suppose she felt it was "a great honor" that Tsunade would want anything to do with me after I quit being a ninja.

The writing in the scroll had been very discreet and official, but there was no air of resentment in the Hokage's style or handwriting. It asked that I report to her office the next morning at nine o'clock, and to bring one of my parents. It was the latter part of this supplied information that filled me with unease.

All too soon, the building with its red roofs and fire symbol towered directly above us. Ninja were passing back and forth through the doorway. Some shot curious looks at me, others waved as they realized who I was. They all looked so busy, but otherwise content. I held the door open for my mother to go inside.

We climbed the steps to the fourth floor as I led the familiar way to my former teacher's office. Soon we found ourselves in the reception area, where a desk occupied by a dark-haired kunoichi sat before a door.

The familiar face of the Hokage's assistant, Shizune, glanced up from the documents skewed across the tabletop. Relief blossomed into her gaze upon seeing us. "Oh, thank goodness! You're here."

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"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune's voice rang loudly through the room as she knocked twice at the door. 

A disgruntled voice snapped, "What is it, Shizune?"

Shizune glanced back at me nervously. "Haruno Sakura is here for her appointment."

After a moment the same voiced replied, "Send her in."

Shizune opened the door and directed us to go inside. Tsunade sat at her desk, head held in her hands. Her blonde hair hung like a curtain hiding her face from view. A pile of untouched folders were stacked on the edge, while one lay open directly before her.

She took a deep sigh and flipped her head back, arching her neck in a stretch. "Shizune," she barked, "bring me some Tylenol or something before my head explodes."

"Right away," the medic-nin responded, snapping the door shut quickly.

Tsunade cringed at the jarring click of the lock. "Forty-five years of medical training and you think I'd be able to cure my own migraine," she grumbled. She motioned for us to take the vacant seats before her desk, then glanced over at my mother and nodded. My mother eyed the Hokage, slightly taken aback by her less-than-formal greeting.

Tsunade's eyes fell back to me. "It's been a while."

"I was very busy, at school I mean," I said, returning her gaze. She looked worse for ware at the moment than was normally acceptable, a few wrinkles just standing out around her eyes. Whether she would admit it or not, Tsunade was getting old.

"Yes, well; I've been informed that you've completed your final year of schooling." She shuffled some papers. "Is there any chance you will be returning to work here?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't plan to become a ninja again, at this time."

Tsunade stared at me for a moment before returning to cleaning up her desk. She left the one file untouched, though. "Well, I'll get down to business then. As I'm sure you're aware, Uchiha Sasuke is currently being held in the hospital." She paused to study my reaction, but I kept a deadpan expression on my face. She continued on. "I've been in meetings with Konoha's advisory council for the last four days, trying to choose the best course of action now that he's returned. He betrayed the village by leaving, but he was an intricate part of the destruction of two of Konoha's most dangerous enemies."

"The elders are a little upset, but I've decided to grant him a pardon. On the premises, of course, that he is suspended from his ninja duties. In time we will review his file and consider returning him to active duty. As of now, though, he is on a probation of sorts."

She leaned back into her chair and sighed. "Herein is where the problem lies: As he is no longer able to carry out missions, the council requests that he take a job here in the village that would keep him out of the ninja offices."

Tsunade got up from her chair, walked over to the window, and gazed out over the village below. "I've had two dozen ninja calling various businesses around Konoha. As I expected, no one is willing to offer a job for him to take."

I stared at her, bewildered by the sudden onslaught of information. "Why are you telling me all of this? What does this have to do with me and my family?"

Tsunade folded her arms and leaned against the window sill. "He needs to work somewhere, Sakura. Or else I'll be forced to send him to the national prison until his probation sentence ends." Silence filled the room.

Finally, my mother cleared her voice and spoke for the first time. "Hokage-sama, are you proposing that we hire this young man? To work at _our_ shop?"

Tsunade turned back to us, her eyes suddenly apologetic. "I know; it's a lot to ask. But I also know that if there was any chance of keeping Sasuke in the village, it would rest with you. His fate is in your hands."

My mother simply stared off into space, her brow heavy with the sudden burden that rested upon her. She thought for a long time, and then slowly opened her mouth. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… What would he have to do?"

* * *

"Thank you for meeting with me, Mrs. Haruno," Tsunade said, standing up from her chair and bowing. 

My mother returned the bow. "I'm sorry that I must be going now. I left my husband in charge of the store. Poor thing. He's probably wondering where I am."

I started to follow my mother to the door, but Tsunade called to me. "Sakura, I'd like to speak to you for a moment."

"Go ahead," I said to my mother, "I'll come home after I finish here." She nodded slowly and hurried out.

Tsunade rubbed at her forehead and pointed to the folder on her desk. "I know you went to visit Sasuke, and what happened in the room."

"Tsunade-sama, I—"

She held up a hand. "No, there's no need for explanations. I'm just thankful that your mother agreed to all of this." She rested her fists on her hips. "I want you to keep an eye on Sasuke while he's working at your shop."

I took a step back, her request shocking me to the bone. Even if _Sasuke_ was going to be working in my family's business, _I_ hadn't planned on staying around. I worried that such a situation would result in another hospital episode. "I don't know if I can…"

"He hadn't spoken a word… Until he saw you, that is. And your name was the first thing out of his mouth."

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to restore calm to my body. Tsunade continued on. "I'm not asking you to spy or keep surveillance on him. That's what the ANBU are for."

I folded my arms and stepped forward. "But you're still asking me to baby-sit a former missing-nin who's on the same level as an S-ranked criminal?"

"I just think he will find the transition into village life a bit easier if he has someone around that he doesn't feel threatened by."

"Tsunade-sama, maybe you were misinformed," I said, "but if you hadn't heard, I assaulted him while he was laid up in a hospital bed."

A smirk snuck onto the Godaime's lips as she looked at me. "And you're still alive, aren't you?"

I shut my mouth, my planned retort stuck in my throat as I recalled my thoughts from that day. I glanced at my wrist. There were no signs of bruising or sores to be found. _His grip was strong but careful; I knew he could have snapped me in two if he wanted to._

And yet he hadn't.

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Thanks for reading. All reviews are welcomed! 


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